Fantasy drafts this summer are paying major respect to a running back that hasn’t played a down in the NFL and mans a position that’s been greatly devalued in recent years. That’s not to say that Bijan Robinson isn’t worth his current average draft spot as the No. 4 fantasy running back or he won’t end up as the No. 1 as several Twitter-fueled fans suggest.
Matt Forte, Priest Holmes, and Saquon Barkley all logged a No. 1 in their first seasons. Arian Foster, David Johnson, Chris Johnson, Devonta Freeman, Jonathan Taylor, Le’Veon Bell, and Tiki Barber all led the position in their second year. It doesn’t take long and in defense of Robinson, he’s been most likened to Barkley as the “once in a generation” player that seemingly comes around every couple of years.
The Falcons’ rushing schedule is one of the toughest and is worse at the start of the year. But the offensive line is much improved, Robinson is intended to contribute equally as a receiver, and he’s going to cost dearly if you intend on seeing him in your starting lineup.
Robinson generated the hype and adoration of a top rookie running back. He’s spent much of the offseason as a trending topic on Twitter just because everyone wants to discuss him. Your league mates will want the exciting Texas rookie but only one team gets to overpay for him.
But he’s not the only Falcon, and any success that he creates will also feed into better stats for the rest of the fantasy players in Atlanta. Robinson may have yet to take a regular-season snap, but he’s already overshadowed the rest of the offense that hasn’t generated such unbridled optimism despite key players entering the second or third NFL season.
Desmond Ridder enters his second season
Last season under HC Arthur Smith, the Falcons split the quarterback duties between Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder. Smith imported his Titan’s offensive scheme and Mariota helped install it. They finally gave Ridder the reins for the final four games. His best effort was in the season finale with 224 passing yards and two scores versus the Buccaneers.
But the Falcons rated dead last in the NFL with only 841 offensive plays for 5,153 yards. They were No. 31 with just 44 offensive touchdowns. But they did rank No.2 in running back rushing yards (2,209) and No. 3 in rushing attempts (455). Bringing in Robinson relates to what Smith had in Tennessee with Derrick Henry, though the intention is to use the rookie much more as a receiver than Henry did.
Ridder was the second quarterback drafted in 2022 after four years of being a dual threat at the University of Cincinnati. He threw for as many as 30 touchdowns in a season, and ran for up to twelve scores. He only rushed sixteen times in his four games last year, and only once threw more than 30 passes.
He’s only No. 31 in average draft position for quarterbacks despite playing behind an improved line, with a far better backfield and improving receivers. Perhaps as notable as any other positive, the Falcons face the lightest schedule for quarterbacks in the NFL this year. The AFC South is a great place to start a career as a passer.
Kyle Pitts is still an elite tight end
No arguing that Kyle Pitts was a disappointment last year, and that was before he tore his MCL and missed the final seven games. But Pitts set NFL rookie records in 2021 during Smith’s first year as the coach. The difference was swapping out Matt Ryan for Marcus Mariota and playing to his strengths which did not include much throwing to anyone.
When Ridder had his starts, it was well after Pitts was lost for the season so there’s no measuring stick to use. Ridder should get Pitts back into the game plan more as he’s far too talented to remained under-used. Smith already said that he anticipated Pitts would be ready for Week 1. And there’s that light passing schedule that should help, along with a backfield that will force the defenses to play the run.
Pitts is currently the No. 5 fantasy tight end in the average draft. That drops him to around the fifth round in most fantasy leagues.
Drake London primed for a second-year breakout
The Atlanta offense sputtered under Marcus Mariota last season. But don’t forget that Drake London was the first wide receiver selected in the 2022 NFL draft with the 1.08 pick. The 6-4 USC star wasn’t helped with the depressed passing stats last year, but he still ended with 72 catches for 866 yards and four touchdowns – roughly twice that of any other Atlanta receiver.
He finished as the No. 28 fantasy wideout as a rookie and is currently the No. 26 fantasy wideout in the average draft – again in the fifth round despite being the most coveted college wideout last year and playing with the second-best quarterback from that draft class.
The Falcons brought on Mack Hollins from the Raiders and Scott Miller from the Buccaneers to fill out the starting wide receivers. But this offense will run through four players – all of them elite talents and early first-round picks. Bijan Robinson starts his career already a fantasy darling in drafts, but Ridder, Pitts, and Drake are in line to all outperform their draft slots.
